Broken
by thebestoftimes11
Summary: Things went differently on the bridge that day, leaving Jack Wilder with nothing but a broken soul and lacing scars.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi! This is my first Now You See Me fanfiction, and I have to say, I enjoyed writing this. I saw the movie last week and was spellbound. It was just amazing! I loved it so much, I'm trying to convince all of my friends to go too! Anyway, on with the story. The title is a work in progress, if anyone can think of anything better, please let me know!**

* * *

_A wrinkled fingertip gently brushed a yellowing deck of cards, resting in the palm of a familiar hand belonging to an ageing magician. Said magician stood, clutching the cards in his right hand, slowly limping across the ever darkening room towards the door. His shoulder glanced a leather jacket hanging by a crumpled photograph, as he left the place he now called home. The Las Vegas air, once perfect yet now tainted with fumes assaulted his senses, and he took a step back, lacing scars upon his back dully burning as they touched the wooden door. Taking a deep breath and wrapping his weakening fingers around the cards, he took a step forward, moving off down the crowded Vegas streets, step slightly uneven. A deep cough shuddered through his skeleton, pulling the air from his lungs, causing him to rasp as he fought to catch his breath. He slowed to a halt, raising his pained chocolate eyes to the bridge that changed his life. Framed against the clouds, he supposed it could look beautiful._

_Just not to him._

* * *

A young magician gritted his teeth, pearly whites forced together as his fingers gripped the steering wheel, a nervous expression fleeting across his handsome features.

Jack Wilder was scared.

Hell, he was terrified.

Truth be told, he'd never faced such a predicament, and that fact alone truly terrified him.

It really did.

He allowed himself to check the mirror, hoping to spot a familiar face, shrouded in some sort of disguise, but he wasn't so lucky.

"Daniel..." Jack growled, fighting back a bout of strangled emotion as he turned his attention back to the road, dodging between cars as he provided a target. His dark eyes checked the mirror once more, searching for a flash of red locks, bright blue eyes or a signature fedora. Anything to offer a slight glimmer of hope.

The steering was suddenly wrenched from his tight grasp as the tyre connected with the concrete barrier central to the road, knocking the car across lanes like a delicate leaf in the wind.

"No!" Jack shouted, anger and pure fear tearing through his words as he battled to force the steering wheel to the right, to regain any balance the car still had.

But he was too late.

The car kept flipping.

Windows smashed.

Shards of glass littered the road.

Flames began licking across the wreckage.

Twisted metal.

Burning rubber.

Paper to ashes.

Leather to dust.

Fight to tears.

An unbearable heat.

Strong hands upon his fading body.

_"Help-"_

A strained whisper.

_"Please-"_

A fierce pain.

_"Danny? Henley? Mer-"_

Black.

Life to death.

* * *

J. Daniel Atlas wasn't known for expressing his emotions.

He rarely shed a tear for any cause, choosing instead to keep his emotions locked inside his heart, chained up, leaving no access to any soul wishing to pry.

He cried only once.

He cried for Jack Wilder.

"Jack? Jack, can you hear me?" Daniel begged, slender fingers wrapped around Jack's hand, squeezing tight as he jogged alongside the stretcher carrying one of his dearest friends. The attractive blue eyed magician stopped, allowing Jack's limp fingers to slip through his own, his fingertips brushing the burns across Jack's palm. Daniel choked back a sob, watching the lifeless body being pulled out of his sight and into the back of a stark white ambulance. Salted tears blurred his vision, as warm hands pulled him into a loving embrace, soft hair brushing his cheek.

"Shh, it's okay, Danny. He'll be okay." Henley whispered, voice catching with emotion as she spoke, breath ghosting across Daniel's cheek as she drew back, brown eyes boring into his. Daniel looked down at her, one of the people he trusted most in the world, and realised that it was okay to release his emotions from the confines he'd pushed them into.

And so, he allowed a single, glittering tear to fall.

That tear fell for Jack.

"He trusted us, Henley. He trusted us, and we let him down." Daniel murmured, shaking hands carding through his brunette curls, gripping the silky strands with fear.

"We weren't to know, Danny. If any of us had known this was going to happen, we never would've let it. We love Jack," Henley soothed, gently running her fingertips over Daniel's cheeks, removing the crystals taking homage there. She slipped her leather clad fingers through Daniel's gently trembling ones, pulling him forward towards where Merritt stood beside the ambulance. "The least we can do now is be there for him. Every step of the way."

* * *

**Oooohhh! A relatively short intro chapter, which will hopefully pique your interest! Thanks for reading! :)**

**thebestoftimes11 x**


	2. Chapter 2

**a/n: Thank you so much for the feedback on the last chapter! It's good to hear that people seem to be enjoying it so far. Anyway, expect some more angst in this chapter! Enjoy : )**

* * *

"We have to get him into surgery. He's losing a lot of blood, and we don't want a fatality."

"I know, I'm just saying he really doesn't look good."

"Well, anyone can see that, Sherlock."

"Guys, would you keep moving? This is serious."

"He looks so young."

"Man, he'll be lucky if he can ever walk again."

"Nothing short of a miracle."

"Hey, isn't he that magician? From that group, ah, what are they called..."

"_Move!_"

"The Four Horsemen, Mitch."

"Don't worry, bud. We're going to help you."

"Hurry up!"

"Yeah, them!"

"Ladies, take your gossip somewhere else, this is not the time or place."

"He looks like a strong kid. He'll make it."

"I don't know. That sure was one hell of a crash."

"Jack Wilder, that's him."

Voices.

All so distant.

Jack couldn't recognise any of them.

Life was fading.

Fast.

* * *

Daniel bit his lip, pearly teeth dragging across dry skin as he strode across the marbled floor, heavy footfalls disrupting the otherwise tranquil air of the hospital waiting room. Slamming his palms down on the desk, he stared at the nurse, vision clouded as he seeked closure.

"Where's Jack Wilder?"

"I'm sorry, sir-"

"Where is he? I just-" Daniel sighed, rubbing a trembling hand across his face, closing his eyes and shutting his flawed soul from the world. "I just need to know that he's okay."

"I'm afraid he's currently in surgery, so I'm unable to give you a progress report at the moment, but I'm sure the doctor will come out to meet you once he's finished, Mr-?"

"Atlas. Daniel Atlas."

"Mr Atlas. Please, take a seat. I'll have the doctor come to speak with you as soon as he can." the nurse assured, expression slightly pitiful as she took in Daniel's dishevelled appearance. The handsome young man turned his back, taking the few steps towards Merritt and Henley before falling into a chair, staring down at the veined tiles beneath his feet. Releasing a shaky breath, Daniel ran a hand through his mass of dark curls, eyes following a delicate lilac fault through the marble. His silent world was soon shattered by a heavy hand upon his shoulder, pulling his undivided attention from the divine beauty underneath his very feet, and to the worried eyes focused on him.

"You okay?" Merritt asked, clasping his slender fingers between his legs, resting his elbows on his thighs and leaning forward to gaze at the hotshot showman.

"I-" Daniel stopped, closing his usually radiant eyes and allowing his head to drop back, softly falling against the wall.

"I'm not a mentalist for nothing, you know. I can easy figure out how you're doing if you don't just tell me."

"I'm not doing good, okay? It doesn't take a mentalist to work that one out. I let Jack down. I should've stayed there with him."

"If you'd stayed with him, then Henley and I would've been sat here worrying about the both of you. Better one than two."

"Better none than one!"

"Look, we all acknowledge that what we did today was risky. We all knew that. Jack accepted the fact that things could go either way today. If we'd known just what was going to happen, you know fine well that none of us would've let it. Things are going to be tough for Jack during this first little while. But we have to pull together and give him strength. Be the loving family he never had."

"He must've been terrified." Daniel whispered, this realisation rocking him to the core, piercing his now vulnerable heart with sharpened knives, pointed with precison.

"But he did it. He idolizes you. You say jump, he says how high." A rounded, crystal tear rolled down Daniel's cheek at Merritt's words, as he realised once more just how much Jack meant to him.

"Hey, Danny, it's good to see you finally allowing yourself to show a little emotion." a tired voice broke in, Henley's light tones cutting through the almost beautiful scene.

"I guess I just figured, 'Why not?'." Daniel breathed, staring down at his fingers intwined with a loose thread hanging from his jeans.

"So it's true then." Henley stated softly, gaining a curious look from both men.

"What?" Merritt cocked his head to the side, frowning at Henley's words.

"Nothing is ever locked."

* * *

Beads of sweat glistened upon the young man's brow, long fingers clenching and unclenching around the starched sheets adorning the sterile bed as he lay, plagued with dreams far from paradisal.

_Mangled metal, burning fast._

Hot, blinding pain coursed through his body with every slight movement he made, enveloping his mind and leaving him with no control.

_Licking flames, crushing bones._

His vision blurred, breathing laboured as he struggled to draw sweet air into his raging lungs, searching for a release form the constant pain.

_Shattered glass, shattered hearts._

Bright light.

He broke the surface.

Calm.

Calm.

Calm.

"Jack, can you hear me?"

"Yes."

* * *

**I apologise for the shortness of this chapter. Thank you for reading anyway! If anyone has any ideas for further chapters, please don't hesitate to let me know! **

**thebestoftimes11 x**


	3. Chapter 3

Dark smudges upon pale skin.

Tired eyes and weary limbs.

Bracing souls and faking smiles.

Knowledge of a broken child.

Faults in china, red and rough.

Of one always thought to be so tough.

A sickened solo in his mind.

Rest your head, dear, you'll be fine.

* * *

Henley Reeves was strong.

Her soul blazed with a furious fire, every time she stumbled upon a case of lost justice, refusing to be quenched.

But, like everyone, she had a breaking point.

Gazing down at limp fingers intertwined with her own, delicate burns already lacing each knuckle, she felt the fire softly flicker.

Listening to the desperate breaths and helpless gasps of the young magician lying bound between the starched sheets caused the fire to waver, strength slowly yet steadily depleting.

Pain etched into every line of his face.

Body writhing.

Fingers clenching.

Fighting fire.

Extinguished.

Still.

"Jack, can you hear me?" She whispered, trembling, fighting back waves of sorrowful tears.

Silence.

Silence.

"Yes." The simple word ghosted from parted lips, hanging in the air, vulnerable and weak.

"Oh, thank you." Daniel breathed, dropping his head into his slender hands, clutching at his brunette locks, each movement out of painful relief. Merritt rested a comforting hand upon the younger man's shoulder, single gesture relating all he wanted to say.

"D-Daniel, the papers."

"Jack, you're all that matters."

* * *

A kindly looking nurse with rosy cheeks, emerald eyes and frizzy blonde locks pulled back into a bun sat, tapping at a keyboard, frequently allowing her inquisitive gaze to sweep over the few occupants of the waiting room.

An elderly couple, asleep, wrinkled hands clasped.

A young woman, crying despairingly, praying for the life of her child.

A middle aged man, red rimmed eyes and flushed cheeks, silently hoping.

The nurse sighed, heart breaking slightly at the pure desperation she saw every day.

The wicked never rest.

"Where's Jack Wilder?"

A man in a crumpled suit, weary eyed and tight lipped, stood before her, fists clenched, knuckles white.

"Are you immediate family, sir?"

"No, but-"

"Then I'm afraid you cannot see him."

"You don't understand. This is an incredibly important matter. I have to see him right now."

"Look, sir, I'm sorry but he's just been involved in a terrible accident, which meant he had to have surgery. He's going to be worn out for the best part of a week, so I suggest that you maybe come back after that time and consult him about this 'incredibly important matter' when he's feeling a little better."

The man stood, speechless, silenced.

"I-I-"

"Need I say much more? Or need I call security?"

"I-I'm FBI."

"I don't care. This young man is not up for seeing you right now." The nurse stood her ground, gritting pearly teeth and narrowing her glittering eyes. The man before her ran a hand through messy locks, before turning and cursing under his breath, polished shoes sliding across the marble as he left the waiting room, fists still clenched. Letting a shaky breath escape parted lips, the nurse took her seat again, regaining composure and turning her attention back to the computer, safe in the knowledge that the Horsemen would be shadowed, at least for the time being.

* * *

Jack's slender fingers were laced through Daniel's own, littered with bloody burns threading the lines on his palms, each flaw an deep shade of carmine, gradually fading to a lighter carnation around the scarred edges. Daniel's eyes rested upon the finally soundly sleeping figure, following ugly scars up Jack's muscled arms, twisting and looping around his shoulders and over his back.

"I'm sorry, Jack. So, so sorry." Daniel whispered, words barely audible, feather light in the empty room. Henley, hazel orbs losing their fighting fire, and Merritt had departed a short while ago, closing their hands around greasy coffee cups a floor below where the damaged sleight lay, guarded by the haggard showman. A thick silence settled over the room, unspoken words of sorrow and regret hanging in the air like sharpened knives.

"Don't be sorry, D-Danny. It's not your fault." Jack murmured, eyes glittering the golden colour of hazel, shaded by black, boyishly thick lashes as he stared up at his sole companion of the moment. Daniel leaned down, careful not to disturb Jack's burns as he pulled the younger into a comforting embrace. Jack's hands tangled in Daniel's silky locks, breathing in the musky scent of the one he came to call a true friend.

The sky, burnt orange streaked with pale pink and carmine, was at peace with the clouds, elegant puffs of feathery white littered across the huge canvas, shading the slowly setting sun. Tiny flecks of blackened ash fluttered in the gentle breeze, delicately landing across a beaten road.

"You're like a brother to me, Jack. I promise, I'll never let you down again."

* * *

**Sorry, this is quite a short chapter. I hope the content made up for the length, though! Thanks for reading, and to everyone who has reviewed/alerted. Hope you enjoyed!**

**thebestoftimes11 **


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